Hundreds of people turnout last Saturday night at Sippican Tennis Club to celebrate the Sippican Historical Society 50th anniversary of the Sippican Historical Society, as well as raise some money for the society’s historical preservation projects.

Chris Reagle

Hundreds of people turnout last Saturday night at Sippican Tennis Club to celebrate the Sippican Historical Society 50th anniversary of the Sippican Historical Society, as well as raise some money for the society’s historical preservation projects.

Coordinated by Sippican Historical Society President Sally Conkright and Sippican Historical Society Executive Director Kim Teves, staff and society members, the gala event raised more than $50,000 through its silent and live auctions, and $75 per head admission tickets.

Guests at the packed event enjoyed delectable hors d’oeuvres and cocktails while perusing a building-length table where silent auction items could be viewed. Local businesses and individuals donated all of the auction items. Two enthusiastic and determined auctioneers for the evening, Dick Webb and John Ludes, lead the competitive bidding, pressing bids higher. Featured auction items included: vacation accommodations, gourmet dinner parties, day cruises, and sports packages, to name a few. Proceeds from the gala fundraiser will be used for unnamed preservation projects in town. One of Sippican Historical Society’s more recent preservation projects is the refurbished Robert O. Broomhead Bandstand at Island Wharf, which is a primary performing location for Marion Concert Band’s summer series. The historical society took an even bigger role in preservation several decades ago by buying the building that houses the quaint village Post Office on Front Street in order to keep it as a mainstay in the highly foot-trafficked village.

The crowd at the celebration included some familiar and new faces, which organizers said made them extremely pleased because it denoted a wider interest in the community and possibly new members to the active historical society, which maintains a clubhouse at the corner of Main and Front streets, and staffed museum on Front Street.

Many people were stylishly dressed in the garb of the early 1960s era the society was founded. Most of the ladies were dressed in long colorful summer dresses and coiffed hair. Most of the gentlemen were attired handsomely in dress pants and jackets, which they quickly dropped on that balmy evening. Several men were dressed in summer “Marion men” apparel, donning a suit jacket and dress shirt over pressed shorts, knee high socks and fashionable summer footwear.

Founded in July of 1963 at the home of Dr. Hugh Henken for the purpose of forming a historical society in Marion, just seven people attended. On that evening, the Sippican Historical Society was born, established with the mission to preserve the history of Marion. The purpose of the Sippican Historical Society has remained constant over the years: To create and foster an interest in the history of Marion; to encourage historical research and writing; to collect documents and relics and to provide the proper care for them; and to establish a museum to hold the historical material pertaining to the history of Marion.

The society has come a long way since its inception a half century ago. With a membership of more than 200 individuals and families, it has become a vibrant community of people who value the mission to preserve Marion’s past and promote a greater appreciation for the historic New England values which have been so important over the years, say its supporters. In addition to preservation and beautification projects it has undertaken, decades, the society it has emerged with more frequent program offerings – from the popular Classic Film Fridays held each month at Marion Music Hall to entertaining and informative lectures by noted authors and local experts.

For more information on Sippican Historical Society, its projects and membership opportunities, go online to www.sippicanhistoricalsociety.org.

Community Info

Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted.
Wicked Local Marion ~ 182 Standish Avenue, Plymouth, MA 02360 ~ Privacy Policy ~ Terms Of Service